1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner bottle cap having a fixed member and a slide member, wherein the fixed member is stationary relative to a toner bottle and defines a first flow passage for the toner, the slide member defines a second flow passage coaxially adjoining the first flow passage in a toner outflow direction and having a peripheral wall in sealing contact with a peripheral wall of the fixed member, the slide member being slideable relative to the fixed member in axial direction of the first and second flow passages.
The present invention further relates to a toner refill mechanism comprising such a toner bottle cap.
2. Description of Background Art
When a toner reservoir of a printer or copier has to be refilled with toner from a toner bottle, a refill mechanism is needed that permits to establish a flow communication between the interior of the toner bottle and the toner reservoir without allowing the fine toner powder to escape. Further, it should be avoided that toner powder remains on the external surfaces of closure members of the toner reservoir and the toner bottle when the refill process has been completed. In addition, it is advantageous to prevent the creation of toner chips which, when they fall into the toner reservoir, may disturb the toner development process in the printer or copier. Such toner chips are likely to be formed when toner powder adheres to walls of the refill mechanism which may come into sliding engagement with one another so that frictional heat causes the toner powder to cake.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,344 discloses a toner bottle cap of the type indicated above, wherein toner outflow openings are formed in a peripheral wall of the slide member. In the closed position of the slide member, these outflow openings are closed by the surrounding peripheral wall of the fixed member. When the slide member is axially slid into the open position, the outflow openings reach a position axially offset from the fixed member, so that the toner may flow out.
In this known mechanism, however, toner chips may still be formed when toner adheres to the wall portions of the fixed member that close the outflow openings.